Four Phoenixes
by TargeBunny
Summary: At a young age Kai lost his father. That same day a kingdom lost a King. Now as a grown man Kai must find a way to overthrow King Boris and take his rightful place on the throne. He was suppose to do this alone but things never go according to plan. AU
1. Prologue

_A/N And yet again I am posting a new story whenn I should be working on my other stories (technically I almost done the next chapter of Don't Ask). This story should beeasier to updat sinnce I have up to chapter ten planned and up to chapter four written. I really like the idea of this story. I know ita an AU ut I hoope that enough ofpeole like it. I know one operson will enjoy it (she had been pestering for me to post it already). Sp here is the first chapter I know it is short but I can assure you that the other chapters at least double in size._

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

A young girl, no older than five, stared up at her father. The two of them looked very much alike. They had the same tan skin, from being outside all day, they had the same chestnut hair, the daughter was even developing calluses on her hands like her father. The only noticeable difference between the two was that the father had brown eyes, while his daughter's were the colour of the ocean.

"Now go to sleep Abby, you had a long day," her father ordered, tucking the blanket in around her.

"Tell me a story Pa," the girl begged.

"You need rest," he said.

"Please?"

One look into those big, round, eyes and he was hooked. He sighed. "Which one do you want to hear?"

"Tell me about the phoenix Dranzer. Why do we have a painting of him on the wall?"

"Because, he was once the royal family's great protector. Phoenixes live for a very, very, long time. It is even said that when one dies another is born from its ashes. Dranzer lived for hundreds of years protecting the Hiwatari family. No one dared to raise a hand against the royal family, until someone very close to them came up with a despicable idea.

"It was five years ago, back when you were a just a baby and King Susumu ruled the land…."

_A man paced around an elaborately decorated room. He room was filled with silk tapestries hanging from every wall, almost everything had a tinge of gold on it. Where was that woman? She was over an hour late. His hand ran through his purple hair, making part of I sand up._

_Before he could start pulling it out, the door creaked open and a cloaked figure slid into the room. The man stopped pacing and stalked over to the person, his green eyes blazing with rage. He slammed the door shut._

"_You're late," he sneered. _

"_I am never late, nor do I ever arrive early. I arrive at the perfect time," the cloaked figure croaked. _

"_I told you o be here just after sunset, the moon has risen! You should do well to show me the respect I deserve," he snapped. "Are you even listening to me hag? Do you know who I am?"_

_The cloaked woman had her back to her host and was gazing up at one of the many tapestries on the wall. It was one of the royal family trees, dating as far back as King Alexander I. Following the lines connecting the family she began to mumble to herself. _

"_Curious how there is still so much space for more branches."_

_The man stomped his foot. "Hag! Did you not hear me?" _

"_I heard you Balkov," the woman stated, turning to face the man. "The question is, are you really willing to go through with this plan of yours? It will be quite difficult."_

"_Yes, I am ready to fulfill my destiny," he answered._

"_Very well." From the inside of her cloak the woman pulled out a small vial full of a red serum. "Two drops in his food and he will temporarily be under your control."_

_Balkov snatched the vial from the woman's hand. "Excellent."_

"_Remember my Lord, this will be only a temporary fix," she warned._

"_Yes, yes, I understand, you may leave now hag."_

"_As you wish."_

_He didn't even notice the hag bow or exit the room. Everything was coming together nicely. Soon the k__ingdom would be his and he would no long have to listen to that oaf Susumu. If only the King was more like his father and actually listened to his advice, maybe then he would not have to resort to such tactics. It could not be helped though, a Hiwatari no longer belonged on the thrown. The Kingdom needed an iron grip to rule the land, not the silly compassionate side that Susumu was showing. _

"_Spencer," he called._

_A young squire with blond hair entered the room. "Yes Lord Boris?"_

_He tossed the vial to Spencer. "Place two drops of that in Dranzer's food," he ordered._

"_As you wish Lord," the boy bowed and left._

_Everything was going according to plan. All he had to do now was wait until sunrise when Dranzer would be fed. For the rest of the night Boris spent it studying some books that would help him in the near future. _

_As the sun began to rise, Boris made his way down to the courtyard where Dranzer ate his meals. The phoenix was enormous, larger than any horse he had ever seen. His feathers were a mixture of orange and red, making the allusion that he was on fire. Like his master he had red eyes. When the beast had finished eating Boris stepped forward. _

"_Do you know who I am?" he demanded._

_The bird bowed its head. "Master."_

_Boris smirked. Everything was coming together. _

"I was one of King Susumu's guards on that awful day. Since Dranzer was one of the King's protectors we didn't suspect of any misdeeds but he proved us wrong, Dranzer murdered the King that day. Before we could regroup he flew off with the King's son in his claws. He was never heard from again, and young Prince Kai was assumed to be dead. Not long after the King's death, Boris married the widowed Queen and became the ruler of our land. Your mother and I left the city on the day of the wedding.

"Some say that Dranzer will come back and bring with him a deserving king, who will show the people the compassion that our former one possessed. Some of us pray for that day to come soon. Those of us who do pray hang a painting of Dranzer in their homes, to remind us that better days are yet to come," he father recited. Looking down at his daughter he saw that she was already fast asleep. He smiled down at his child and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. Happiness would come back to the land one day, hopefully it would be soon.

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><p><em>AN Well there is the Prologue. I hope you enjoyed it. It would be really nice if you left a review. Maybe if you do I will update sooner. I retract that statement I always hated those writer's who put a review count on their stories until they upated. Although reviews is a great motivater for me. _


	2. Kai the Wanderer

_A/N YAY! I'm totally excited that I got three reviews! I would like to point out that even though Kai and Bryan are two of the main character this is **not **a yaoi. To NinjaKiwi96, beybladekaiya, and... uh... Halfy (you change your username too often) for reviewing. Since beybladekaiya asked so nicely I decided to update earlier than I expected. Enjoy :D_

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 1: Kai the Wanderer<span>**

It was high noon and the sun was blazing over head. A raggedy looking young man stumbled his way towards a well. Dirt and sweat covered nearly every inch of his exposed skin. His two toned blue hair was sticking up in disarray from the lack of cleaning. With trembling hands the man grabbed onto the rope hanging from the well and began to pull the bucket up to the surface. Half way up he lost his grip and the bucket splashed to the bottom. The man fell to his knees trying to conjure up the strength to start over.

"You there!" a gruff voice called. "What are you doing?"

The man turned his head and saw a horseman dismounting his steed. His mouth was too dry to answer the horseman. Instead he got to his feet to leave. Black dots blurred his vision as the world began to spin. He fell to his knees once more.

"Hey, are you alright?" the horseman asked, running to the young man's side.

The man tried to answer but it was no use, he was just too tired. Something wet ran across his lips. When he opened his mouth cool water entered his mouth, quenching his thirst. He greedily drank from the container. The horseman took the water away far too soon for his liking, saying that he might get sick if he drank too much. Slowly, the man fell into a deep sleep.

_**-o-**_

Abby leaned back and sighed in content. With Annabelle done she had finished the milking and was one more step closer to finishing her chores. Knowing her mother though, she would think up something extra to keep her busy. Using both hands she picked up the pail of milk and made her way towards the house.

Her father stood in the doorway as if waiting for her. He waved a hand beckoning her to hurry up. Quickly, she picked up her pace while trying not to spill the milk. When she reached her father he took the bucket out of her hands and put it onto the floor.

"Follow me," he ordered.

He turned and led her into the spare bedroom. On the bed was a young man with two toned blue hair. Abby coved her mouth and nose; he looked and smelled awful, like he had not bathed in months.

"I found him half starved by the old well. Look after him for me Abby?" her father asked.

"Of course Pa," she replied. "I wonder where he came from."

"Don't pester him too much when he wakes up, he needs his rest."

"Yes Pa."

"I have to go back out to the fields but I'll be back for supper. Tell your Ma not to fret over the lad too much."

Before she could respond, he was already out the door. Since there wasn't much she could do she merely washed the dirt from his face. With the filth gone she noticed that his face was practically one giant sun burn. He must have been outside for a long time to get such a burn.

The man began to stir. Red eyes opened and gazed up at her. She couldn't help but stare at him. No one she knew had such oddly coloured eyes.

"Water," he croaked.

"Right." In a matter of seconds she ran out of the room and returned with a cup of water. Carefully, she help the man sit up and held the cup to his lips. Once he was finished she helped him lay back down. "Are you hungry?"

The man nodded.

A few moments later she re-entered the room with some bread and more water. The man quickly gobbled up the food as if it might be his last meal. With his stomach full he leaned against the headboard.

"Pa says you need to rest," she pointed out.

"Pa? Do you mean that horseman?" the man asked.

"He was the one that brought you here, so I assume so. My name is Abby, Abigail Westton."

"Kai," the man replied.

"Where are you from?"

An odd look crossed Kai's face then. For a moment he eyed Abby suspiciously, as if he was debating if she was worth of such information. "The Corwick Mountains." He then yawned. "I'm still a bit tired. I Think I'm going to get some more rest."

Abby hopped to her feet. "Right, you should do that. If you need anything just cal me," she said.

He didn't answer her though. When she looked down the man had already lain back down and had his back turned to her. She sighed and left the room.

For the few hours, Abby spent her time finishing her chores, while checking up on Kai every so often. She just started to stove fire when her Ma entered the kitchen with her arms full of food from the market. Without being prompted she headed out to the wagon and brought in the rest of the food.

"Pa brought a wanderer home," Abby said once everything was put away. "He's sleeping in the spare room right now."

"Really?" her mother huffed.

Uh-oh, that look on her mother's face was never a good thing. That look usually meant that her parents were going to have one of their rare fights. What to do? She really didn't want to hear her parents argue of over Kai. What if Kai heard them? Maybe she could talk her mother around before it came to that.

"Yeah, the poor guy was half starved when Pa found him. He's so exhausted Ma, you should have seen him when I fed him some bread. It was like he had never seen food before," she stated. Her mother's eyes softened a little bit, encouraging Abby to continue. "And it's not like we know nothing about him. His name is Kai and he is from the Corwick Mountains."

Her mother rolled her eyes. "I get it Abby, you want to help the boy. I'm just not happy that your Pa brought home a complete stranger."

"He needs our help Ma!" she protested.

"I know sweety, I know. Let's get supper ready."

**_-o-_**

The next time Kai woke up the sun had just finished rising. The smell of bacon wafted into his room, making his stomach growl. Where was he though? The last thing he remembered was that he found a well after days of no water. Wait, the horseman had brought him home. That girl, Abby, she had looked after him.

On a chair sat a clean set of clothes waiting for him. With a bit of effort he got up and changed into the loosely fitting garments. Once that was done he followed his nose out the room and into the kitchen. The horseman was sitting at the table with his daughter, while a woman busied herself at the stove. The horseman glanced at Kai and smiled.

"See, I told you Lisa, one sniff of your cooking and the lad came running out," the horseman laughed. "Have a seat Kai, breakfast is almost ready."

"Thank you for the other day, sir," Kai murmured, taking a seat next to Abby.

"Call me Peter and don't mention it, I was glad to help out. This is my wife Lisa, and that my daughter Abby," the horseman said, pointing at the woman cooking and the girl at the table.

"Abby and I have already met," Kai pointed out.

"Right, I forgot about that." Just then Lisa placed a plate food in front of her husband. He grinned. "Everything looks great dear."

"Yes, thank you ma'am," Kai said when food was placed before him.

"Well eat up boys, you have to keep up your strength."

Breakfast was a lot noisier than Kai was used to. Back at home everyone ate their meals in silence, but here, it was non-stop chatter. The family talked about everything, the crops, the villagers, they even talked about the weather, which led back to how the crops were fairing.

"So Kai, Abby says you come from the Corwick Mountains. It must be odd down here in the fields," Peter said.

"Well it is different not being surrounded by rocks I suppose," he mumbled.

"What brought you all the way up here? I mean the mountains are pretty far away from here."

"Did you cross the Orack Desert? How did you do that by going on foot?" Abby questioned.

"Well… uh." Why did they have to ask? Why couldn't they talk about the weather again? "Yeah, I did cross the desert but I lost my horse there and had to walk rest of the way."

"How did you loose your horse?"

He shrugged. "In a sand storm."

"So what are you doing so far from home?" Peter repeated.

"Well, I'm eighteen now and wanted to do more than mining in the tunnels. At home it was either that or join the military and I didn't want to do either. So I decided to look for work elsewhere," was his answer.

For some reason Peter seemed very interested in his answer. Before he could ask another question Lisa stood up and began to clear the table. "Well that was a lovely meal but don't you have work to do Peter?" she said, giving her husband a look that clearly stated that he should bet busy.

Peter got to his feet. "Right, well I'm off." He gave the girls a kiss on their cheeks and was out the door.

"You too Abby, go fetch the eggs," she ordered. "And Kai, I know you need your rest but I would love it if you bathed before you crawled back into bed."

"I should really get going ma'am," he argued.

"Nonsense, you're still weak. You will stay with us until you are back to full strength. Now there is a well out back, if you can't fill the tub on your own get Abby to help."

"But-" he began.

Lisa turned around and gave him the same look she had given her husband. "Listen Kai, I suggest you learn this real quick, I hate to repeat myself and I definately hate it when I'm talken back to. Now, go get cleaned up."

He sighed in defeat. "Yes ma'am."

After three trips of fetching water his arms felt like they were about to fall off. Maybe Lisa was right about him still being weak. There was no way he was going to ask that girl for help. The only way to get back to normal was to fight through the pain. Besides, there was no way a girl with such scrawny arms could carry this much weight.

Suddenly his load got exceptionally lighter. Looking down at the bucket he saw another pair of hands holding onto the handle. Following the arms he glared into the girl's blue eyes. She was smiling at him.

"Need some help?" she asked.

"No," he snapped. "I can do it myself."

"Ma wouldn't like it if she knew you were exerting yourself like this," she argued.

"I'm not exerting myself."

"Here." She took the bucket from his hands. "I got this one, go get the next one ready. It will be faster."

He opened his mouth to protest.

"Go on," she ordered, turning towards the house.

With a huff he headed back to the well. Who did she think she was, ordering him around like that? She was just a girl. He was at least two years older than she was and yet, she was giving _him_ orders! Who made her the boss? Just then she appeared in front of him with that smile on her face.

"Thank you," she said, pouring the water into her bucket. "This should be the last one so you can come back now."

"I can carry that," he argued.

"I got it, just relax," she said.

He rolled his eyes and followed her into the house.

**-o-**

Time slowly went by and little by little Kai regained his former strength. In a matter of days he ways helping Abby with her chores. After a couple of weeks of helping Abby, Peter suggested that he come out to the fields to help him. The morning was spent ploughing a field intended to grow corn. When they rested for lunch he felt exhausted. How could this man do all this work by himself?

"Thanks for the help lad."

"Hn," was his reply, too tired for idle chatter that this family was known for.

"Here you go princeling," he said, offering him a slice of bread.

Kai froze. Princeling? What gave him that notion? Boris had no children, therefore no princes. He eyed the farmer suspiciously. What was he getting at? Maybe he was just trying to get a reaction. "Ha ha," he laughed, "just because I'm from the mountains doesn't mean I don't know anything about what is going on in the kingdom. King Boris doesn't have any children."

"Yes, but King Susumu had a son. Do you know that you have the same red eyes as the Hiwataris do? Not to mention that you look very much like the Queen," was Peter's reply.

Kai got to his feet. "You're starting to creep me out Peter. Let's just get back to work."

"Are you looking for him?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Dranzer, are you looking for him?"

He glared at the older man. How did this guy know so much? "You're crazy sir. Dranzer is gone; besides, he's a traitor for killing King Susumu."

"Sorry if I scared you lad," he apologized, getting up as well. "It's just that the stories about the King never really said if the prince was truly dead. I have always just hoped that he would come back and knock King Boris off the thrown. You know, if he was alive, Prince Kai would b eighteen just like you?"

Kai shook his head.

"Never mind, we have a lot of work to do."

For the rest of the afternoon they worked in silence. How could the man think that he was a prince because of his age and his appearance alone? Was it that simple? If it was that easy then he had to get moving. He needed to continue his journey.

When they returned to the house, supper was waiting for them. The meal was delicious but the knots in his stomach prevented him from fully enjoying it. Once they finished eating Kai left the table and hid in his room. He would leave tonight while everyone else was asleep. Meanwhile he changed into his old clothes and left the new set folded on the chair.

"Kai?" Abby poked her head through the door.

"Go away," he snapped.

Of course she did not listen. Instead she entered the room and closed the door behind her. "Are you alright? You didn't seem yourself at dinner."

"How can you say that? You have only known me for a few weeks."

"I guess you're right. I just meant that you aren't acting normal today. Are… are you leaving?" she asked, looking at what he was wearing.

For some reason he felt guilty that she had caught him. So guilty he wouldn't look her in the eyes. "Yes."

"Please don't go," she begged. "I know farming isn't really an interesting line of work but we could really use your help. Ever since our last stable hand left Pa has been struggling in the fields. Can' you stay for the rest of the season, please?"

"I should really get going," he said, still unable to meet her eyes.

"Please Kai, we need your help.

He lifted his head and looked her in the eyes. The plan was to tell her no and leave the room. One look into those big round eyes though, those big, watery, eyes, he couldn't be the one to make her cry. He turned away and glared at the wall. "I'll stay until the harvest, then I'm gone."

"Thank you Kai!" the girl cheered, giving him a hug.

He pried her off of him. "Don't hug me!"

He glared at the smiling girl. What was with this girl? How could anyone be so happy? She ignored his wish and latched herself onto him once again, giggling happily.

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><p><em>AN I told you that my next chapter would double in size. Now I would absolutely love i if you clicked that little blue botton and review. _

_Thank you, come again. :D_


	3. Splat!

_A/N Whoops I guess when I said two weeks I mean four... oops. Sorry school work had me swamped for a while plus I had a tournament to go to also. I would like to thank NinjaKiwi96 once again for reviewing, especially since she was the only one to do so. (grumbles about certain friend not reading story yet.) Anyways enjoy. :D_

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 2: Splat!<span>**

Time went by quickly, and before he knew it, Kai had been at the Westtons' farm for over a month. Abby was right in the sense that working for her family wasn't so bad, three square meals a day, a comfortable bed, where could you go wrong? Today they were going to the village to collect supplies and try to sell a few things.

The marketplace was bustling full of life with people going this way and that. Kai couldn't even hear himself think with all the people calling out to one another, trying to make some sort of deal. The sea of people made it difficult for the Westtons to find a spot to park their wagon. Peter had bragged that since they were so close to Aldmere Forest, Baybrook was one of last places travelers stopped before entering the forest. Once they found a place for the wagon Lisa left to do some buying of some much needed supplies, while Abby stayed behind to try and sell some of the goods that they had brought with them.

"Well come along Kai," Peter called.

He followed the older man into a shop full of all short of trinkets for farming. Two elderly men sat by the window playing a game of chess. A group of middle aged men were sanding around the counter, discussing something. One of the men turned his head and spotter them.

He waved. "Hello Peter, long time no see," the man greeted.

"Hello Taro, I have had lots to do back home. Its the busy season after all," he answered, shaking the man's hand.

"Who did you bring with you?"

"This is Kai, He's just passing though and decided to earn some extra money for his journey. Kai this is Taro Tate, the village carpenter."

The man laughed. "You always hired the oddest help. Did you hear about Master Ozuma? Captain Peptrov and his squad burnt down his dojo."

"What! Was there anyone inside? How did this happen?" Peter demanded, practically yelling. The usually calm farmer clenched his hands into fists.

"Thankfully no. Captain Peptrov was demanding Master Ozuma for soldiers from his dojo but he refused. Obviously, that didn't go over well," Taro answered. "I also heard that they might be headed for your way next."

"There's nothing I can offer him."

Kai began to tune the two men out at this point. It was apparent that Peter was going to be a while so he decided now would be a good time to wander around. His first impression of the village, tiny. It took him no time to explore around the small area. Everyone seemed to swarming the marketplace. There seemed to be more people in the marketplace than the houses could hold. Even though it was likely that half of the population in the square would most likely leave Baybrook in the morning everyone was smiling and laughing, as if they owned the world's riches.

_Splat._

Something fragile landed on top his head and cracked. Gooey yoke ran down his head into his eyes. He could hear laughter over the crowd's constant hum. A pair of teenagers stood by the Westtons' wagon with eggs in their hands. From this distant Kai could not make out what they were saying but he could see Abby glaring at the two. She held out her hand as if demanding for something. One of the teens merely grinned and raised an egg above his head and smashed on her head.

Abby stood there with her mouth agape as if she couldnt't believe that they had just done that. The two laughed even harder. He shook his head, there was no way troublemakers like that would listen to her scolding.

"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded.

The boys turned and stared up at him in awe. Was he really that scary looking? He crossed his arms and glared at them. What was their problem?

"We were just looking," one of them answered.

"I hope you're going to pay for those," he stated.

"OF course, we were just about to do that," the other squeaked.

The first boy dropped a few coins in Abby's hands and then the two were gone. Abby shook her head and looked up at him. A smile crossed her face when she spotted the clear goo on top of his head.

"Thank you Kai." She pulled out a handkerchief. "Here."

he snatched I from her hand. "No problem, though I was kind of hoping that they would put up some sort of fuss. I wanted to at least hit one of them."

She tried to give him a stern look but failed miserably. "Violence isn't always the answer Kai."

"Yeah well, its usually the most fun."

"Of course a boy would say that," she said, rolling her eyes.

"What don't tell me that there has never been a time where you have wanted to hit someone because of something they have done?"

She shrugged, taking back the handkerchief and wiped off her own egg goo. "I suppose, but there are usually more peaceful ways to do things."

"And that is why you couldn't get rid of those brats."

Before she could argue any further, Lisa and Peter came into view. Lisa had a huge smile on her face, while her husband was lugging a large sack of something. When they reached the wagon Kai helped him hoist the thing into the back.

"Well, we will have fresh bread in the morning," Lisa stated cheerfully.

"Yum," Abby mumbled.

"So, are we ready to go yet?" Peter questioned.

"Yep," Lisa agreed. She then turned to Abby. "Did you sell anything?"

She couldn't help but grin as she replied, "A couple of eggs."

"Well that's good."

The ride home was unevenful and dull. Lisa and Peter spent most of the ride talking about village gossip. Once in a while Abby would pipe in and add her opinion. By the time they got home it was time for the afternoon milking so the adults left Kai and Abby alone to tend to the cows and horses.

For once the Westtons' farm was quiet. It was about time. Peter and Lisa's constant chatter was really starting to get to him. They were a nice family but after so many years of silence he found it hard to jump into the conversations all the time.

The silence did not last long. The sound of beating hooves could be heard outside the barn. The Westtonns never got company. Both, Abby and Kai, made their way to the door at the same time and peeked through a crack in the door. Outside the house were seven men mounted ontop of horses dressed in the red uniform of the military. Looking at their uniforms Kai spotted two corporals and a captain. The captain looked be be in his late twenties. He had a muscular frame and blond hair. His skin, like all the other soldiers, was tanned from being outside for long hours.

Peter and his wife came out to greet the squad. For some reason Lisa looked worried. Peter looked upset as well, he wasn't even smiling. The captin dismounted his horse and walked towards hem. Peter wrapped an arm around his wife's waist.

"Peter Westton?"

"Yes."

"Captain Spencer Peptrov, his majesty request your services in Loch Bridge."

"No."

"You have a duty to the King. As a member of the Royal Guard you gave an oath to-"

"I swore to protect King Susumu and _his _desendants, not some tyrant who knows nothing about his people!" Peter yelled. He had released Lisa and now stepped towards the Captain. He looked furious.

"Be careful what you say sir, you're very close to speaking treason," Captain Peptrov warned. "Now I will say this one more time, as a member of the Royal Guard you gave an oath to protect your King, to obey his every command, and to come when summoned. Our King has summoned you and you _will_ obey."

Peter looked Captain Peptrov right in the eye. "You must be quite desperate for recruits. My answer is still no. I left the Guard a long time ago. I'm just a simple farmer now. I have too much work to do here."

"Well maybe we should lighten your work load." Captain Peptrov looked a one of his men and gave a nod.

The red haired soldier dismounted his own horse and headed towards the barn. Peter was in front of him in a flash. The soldier tired to get past him but Peter knocked him to the ground with a blow to the head. The man did not get up. As the red head fell, three other soldiers took his place with bows raised.

"I don't obey false kings and if he is so afraid of a rebellion he should have though of that before he took the throne! I will never follow that man's orders," Peter snapped, glaring at Captain Peptrov.

The Captain stepped closer towards Peter. His eyes were blazing with rage. "I warned you. You have spoken treason against our King. Penalty for saying such things is death. Take them inside."

Two of the soldiers that held bows grabbed either of Peter's arms and dragged him towards the house. While the third soldier grabbed Lisa by the hair and yanked her inside the house. Peter struggled against his captors, trying to get loose but they were too strong. Beside Kai Abby tried to run into the yard. Before she could get away Kai latched onto her, just like her parents she tried to struggle, kicking and wiggling, anything to get free. She opened her mouth to scream, but he quickly covered it.

He pulled her away for the door so they could no longer see what was going on. After a while she stopped struggling, although he didn't believe that she was finished fighting. The smell of something burning wafted into the barn. The animals started to become restless and began to fidget. Unlike the creatures Abby did not try to get out of his grip again, but sat perfectly still. She stared straight ahead in a daze. What could he do? If he went out there himself he would merely be killed also. He couldn't let the people that had taken him in die like this though.

Before he could make up his mind, the barn door began to open. His instints took over. Quickly, he sat Abby in one of the horses' stalls out of sight. Once she was hidden he grabbed the closet thing to a weapon, a pitchfork.

The door opened and reveal a purple haired man, maybe a year older than himself. His eyes widened at the sight of Kai. He took advantage of the soldier's shock and charged forward. He swung the pitchfork at the soldier. The man moved just in the nick of time. He wasn't fast enough to avoid he sharp edge of the fork, slicing his right cheek. He looked murderous.

The soldier drew his sword and advanced forward. as he came forward he eyed the sharp end of the pitchfork, ready for anything. He swung first. Kai raised his weapon to block the blow. A chip of the wood flew from the shaft and hit him in he forehead. The soldier pulled his sword free and swung again, slicing the wood in half this time.

_'Dammit,'_ he thought. Quickly, he threw the sticks aside and got ready for the next attack. The soldier grinned at him and advanced once more. All Kai could do was dodge his attacks. He continued to back away from his foe until his back was pressed against the wall. The soldier raised his sword to administer the final blow. He closed his eyes. How could it end like this? He hadn't even began his journey yet.

He waited for the pain to come, but it never did, not even a sting. He opened his eyes and stared down at he tip of the soldier's sword, pointed at his neck.

"You will come with me," he ordered. "And don't make a fuss or I will chop off your head."

He nodded. The soldier led him outside where the rest of his squad was. He stiffened at the sight of the Westtons' house on fire. He could hear Peter and Lisa's muffled cries from inside. It took all his strength not to break free from his captor and race into the burning inferno.

"I found something in the barn sir," the soldier called.

Captain Peptrov turned around to face hem. The colour drained from his face and blue eyes widened. His jaw hung lax in a state of shock. His mouth tried to form the word 'no' repetitively but no sound came out. Slowly, he began to regain his composure.

"Dead," he murmured. "You're suppose to be dead."

Kai stared at the Captain in confusion. What gave him that idea? At the same time an idea dawned on the two men. Now it was his turn to go white while the Captain began to smirk.

'Oh, his majesty will be pleased."

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><p><em>AN Ta-da! All done. I still have to type out the next chapter I think so it may take me a while since I have exam in two weeks, plus I'm moving too. I will do my best to update though. Please review for comments, concerns, and/or suggestions._


	4. His Secret

_A/N *sigh* Finally, that took a lot longer than I thought it was going to. I had this whole chapter all written and was halfway done with typing... actually I think I was done typing it. Anyways I was writing the next chapter when the "Little Plot Bunny" came hopping along and made me change half of this chapter. Oh well it's here and it's done. I hope you enjoy it. "D_

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 3: His Secret<span>**

Abby blinked. Where did Kai go? He had put her in Star's stall and then had left. She remembered hearing feet shuffling around and some banging. Now though, it was completely silent in the barn. The smell of smoke had grown stronger and she found herself wondering what was on fire.

Carefully, she got to her feet and crept to the door. Peeking through the door she saw a man striking Kai to the ground. He laid there for a moment curled up in an all. The man that had knocked him down grabbed him by the hair and forced him to stand. For a moment they had a glaring contest until the man knocked him down again.

Looking behind them she saw her home on fire. That's when her ears picked up the sound of muffled screams from inside. No, there was no way her parents were in there! A soldier stepped in front of the barn door, blocking her view. The hilt of his sword gleaming in the fire's light.

Before she could stop herself she had burst through the doors and snatched the man's sword. She sung the blade from side to side to keep the others at bay. In no time she was standing by Kai. Some of the men laughed when they got a better look at her.

She only glared at them, trying to be strong. The weight of the sword felt so heavy in her hands. How did they make it look so easy? All she wanted to do was drop the weapon and run, but something inside compelled her to stand strong. So instead she gritted her teeth and tried to look as mean as she could.

"Now, now, little girl, put that thing down. We don't want you to get hurt," their Captain said in a mocking tone. He took a step closer.

She swung the sward. "Stay back! Or I'll cut you into pieces!" she yelled, hoping to sound tough. He merely laughed, so much for that working.

"Right, you're just a little girl," he teased, taking another step towards them.

She began to shake. "I'm warning you."

She felt a presence behind her. Before she could react she a gentle hand pried her grip from the sword and took it in their own. Warm breath touched her cheek.

"Thanks Abby, I got this," Kai whispered in her ear.

He then stepped in front of her and got into a fighting stance. With a snap of the Captain's fingers two of his men drew their swords. Kai ignored them and went straight for the Captain. The older man dodged Kai's first strike, and the second, and their third. The forth time Kai attacked he made a deep gash in the Captain's right arm. He screamed. The two soldiers that had been cautiously approaching him froze for a second. A second was all that he needed. In a flash he had knocked the two down.

"Let's go!" he hollered, snatching Abby's hand.

They ran past the fallen soldiers and headed towards the wheat field. What had he done? They could be arrested for attacking an officer! She could hear the soldiers chasing after them. As they drew closer to the field the smell of smoke grew stronger. The field, it was on fire! They were going to be trapped!

Kai didn't stop running though, he just kept charging forward. To their left there was an opening in the blaze. They raced for that spot. It was their only hope. As they drew nearer she could see that their opening was very small. He eyes squinted on their own accord as they ran though. They were inside the inferno now.

Sweat already dripped down her face, stinging her eyes. Kai never stopped running though, constantly dragging her behind. She couldn't hear the soldiers' perusing anymore. Had they stopped chasing them? She craned her neck to look back. There was nothing but flames behind them. The way that they had come was consumed by the fire.

All of a sudden she was falling. Instinctively, Abby ripped her hand free from Kai's to try and right herself. She was falling, failing, right into the raging blaze. Kai shoved her while using himself as a shield. Holding her breath, she anticipated the screams that would come next. He didn't scream. Before she knew what was happening they were running again.

After some time of racing though the fiery maze they found the way out. He didn't stopped there either, just kept striding forward. They were in an orchard now. She knew this place. It was near the abandoned farm where Old Otaku used to live. No one would think of looking there for them.

"Kai stop," she cried, putting on the brakes. "I know a place to hide."

He nodded allowing her to pull him in the direction. The old shanty wasn't too far. It was evident that no one had lived there for years. The wild flowers had overtaken the placing, sprouting between cracks in the wall while ivy clung to the walls climbing all the way to the roof. No one would find them here. With the forest so close and Old Otaku's apple trees all around the shanty was practically invisible from the road.

"Are you sure it's safe here?" he asked, pushing the door open.

"Yes, you can't see this place from the road and only the villagers would know of this place," she assured him, "and no one wants to help the King's men around these parts."

The inside was just as bad as the outside. The place had long ago been ransacked of all its valuables. There were a few things laying around here and there but Abby paid them no mind. Kai went into the bedroom. A few moments later he came back out with a holey blanket. He tossed it at her, landing on her head.

"Get some rest. We will leave once the moon rises," he told her, making it sound more like a command rather than a request.

"Leave? Where are we going?" she questioned. "We can't leave Baybrook."

"Well we certainly can't stay here."

"I told you no one will find us here. We can stay here until morning and then head back home. We should see what the damage has been done. Pa will want to start rebuilding-"

"Abby, we both saw what happened. There is nothing to go back to."

"The barn is still intact when we left. All the animals will be alright, that is if they didn't get loose. Pa will be really upset then. The crops burned _and _the milking cows gone astray, we'd have troubling lasting the winter." She was rambling now. She knew she was but if she stopped talking she would have to stop and think about what Kai was actually saying. "We have to go back."

Kai sighed and leaned forward so they look each other in the eyes. "Abby, listen to me. There is _nothing_ left for you back there. There is _no one_ there. Your parents died in that fire."

She shook her head stubbornly. "No they're not. My parents are a lot tougher than you think. Pa would have found a way out."

She could see the pity in his eyes. He took the blanket off her head and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Go rest in the room. Everything will make sense when you wake up."

She nodded. She was exhausted and she knew that she would need her strength in the morning. They had done a lot that day, gone to the village, encountered a group of soldiers, watched her home burn to the ground, ran though a blazing field…. She paused in the doorway and looked back.

"How is your back? Did you get burnt?"

He shrugged. "Its fine, nothing I can't handle."

"Okay," she mumbled heading into the room.

_ A purple haired boy about ten years old stood in front of her smiling. In his hands he held the reins onto her first pony, Mars. She smile up at the older boy and took hold of the reins. Her father came up behind her and lifted her on top of Mars. She giggled happily _

"_Thank you Pa."_

"_Are you ready for your lesson?"_

"_Yes!" she cheered._

_ For the next twenty minutes her father held onto a rope that led Mars in a large circle while he explained the basics of horseback riding. A lot of it went through one ear and out the other. Abby sat upon Mars with wide eyes full of wonder and delight. Peter sighed. It was like this every time._

_ Abby looked over to the right to call out to the boy. She screamed. The boy was transparent, and he was slowly fading away._

"_Pa! Look! Help him!" she cried. "Bryan, he's fading!"_

_ She turned to look at her father for help. Panic shot through her veins. Her parents stood side by side, engulfed in flames. They somehow were calm and were merrily waving farewell._

"_Pa! Somebody, please help them! Help them!"_

She shot up awake. They were gone. Kai was right. She remembered now, hearing her parents' cries for help when they were hiding in the barn. There hadn't been such cries from the house when she was outside. Tear filled her eyes. She was alone now, an orphan with no home. What was she going to do?

Before she could really start crying Kai entered the room. "Good you're awake. It's time to go."

Quickly she whipped away her tears. "Go, go where?"

"Into the forest, it will be safe there. I'm going to head towards the Seaway Pass."

"Why there's nothing there but a bunch of sand?" she inquired. What was with this guy? Did he really have a death wish or something? "The Seaway Pass is very far. We aren't prepared for such a journey. What if we just stick to the forest's edge and head to another village, Cilffside isn't too far from here."

"No, I'm headed for the Pass. If you want to come be my guest but otherwise stay here," he snapped and then began to mumble. "I should have never stopped here. I could have been there by now."

Abby flinched at the outburst. "Why are you so upset? It's not like there's anything there. What is so special about that place."

He looked away. "Nothing."

A light went off in her head. "What do you mean _you should have been there by now_? It takes over a fortnight to get there and that's by horse. You told us you were headed north to look for work. What is there Kai?"  
>"I told you nothing," he growled. "Maybe I've never seen the ocean before."<p>

She shook her head. "That's still not the reason. Please tell me. I have nothing to gain by your secret. I swear to you that you can trust me. If you just tell me the truth, I'll… I'll follow you off the face of the earth without question. Please Kai, just trust me."

She had to know the truth. She knew from the beginning that he had been hiding something. All she wanted to do was know the real Kai. She had nothing to loose except for Kai. There was no she was going to give him up. He was all that she had left.

He sighed. "Sixteen years ago a phoenix named Dranzer killed the late King Susumu and flew away with his only son," he began.

"I've heard this before," Abby said. "Pa use to tell it to me at bedtime. Pa said that Dranzer was supposed to protect the Royal Family but instead he destroyed them."

"That's right, but I bet Peter didn't know that King Boris had drugged Dranzer to obey his every command. It was all Boris' doing. When Dranzer flew away with the crown prince the drug was wearing off. He knew it wouldn't be safe for the prince to return to the palace at such a young age so he took the prince to one of the hidden temples of the Gods. The Priestesses gave Dranzer their ward that they would protect him until he became old enough to take care of himself.

"Dranzer had failed in his duties as a Guardian. He died that very night."

Abby gasped. "How?" she whispered.

"He burst into flames right in front of the High Priestess's eyes." He glanced at Abby. "Don't look so upset the Priestess was fine, just a little scared."

"But he killed himself over something he couldn't control."  
>"He should have been more careful," Kai replied flatly. "It didn't matter though, because phoenixes rise from the ashes reborn. Instead of one phoenix, four were born, one for each physical element, earth, fire, air, and water. The newborn birds did not stay at the Temple. Over the years they have vanished without a trace.<p>

"The prince is now of age to take the thrown. With the phoenixes' guidance and power he could become a great ruler. It is my duty to find them and bring them back to the Temple of Light."

"Why is it your job to go searching for them?" she couldn't help but ask.

"Because my father was King Susumu," he said slowly. "My name is Kai Hiwatari crown prince of Nasidor."

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><p><em>AN Well there you go. Let me know what you think. Thank you come again. :D_


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